Networking behavior: from goal orientation to promotability

Purpose – Networking behaviors assist individuals in doing their jobs better and advancing their careers. However, most research emphasizes the effects of job characteristics on networking behaviors, neglecting the effects of individual differences in goal orientations. Moreover, few studies investigate the prospective evaluation of promotability and the mediating effect of networking behavior on the relationship between goal orientation and promotability. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the nomological network and to expand the domain of networking behavior by identifying networking as career- and community-based networking behaviors and by examining the differential relationships among goal orientation, networking behaviors, and promotability. Design/methodology/approach – This study surveyed and collected data from 160 financial employees and 103 supervisors working at branches of a large bank in Taiwan. Questionnaires addressing both networking behavior and goal orientation were distributed to employees, and one week later their supervisors were sent another survey about employees’ promotability evaluations. Findings – Learning goal orientation was positively related to both career- and community-based networking behaviors. Performance goal orientation was also positively related to career-based networking behaviors, but negatively related to community-based networking behaviors. Career-based networking behaviors, particularly maintaining contacts and engaging in professional activities, were found to be positively related to promotability. Results also show that career-based networking behaviors, particularly maintaining contacts and engaging in professional activities, mediated the relationship between goal orientation and promotability. Research limitations/implications – This study addresses the importance of distinguishing between networking behaviors as career based and networking behaviors as community based and shows that these two sets of networking behaviors arise from different goal orientations and have differential effects on supervisory evaluation of promotability. Practical implications – By linking networking behavior with promotability, this study helps managers understand how employees’ enactment of specific networking behaviors can facilitate both the employees’ career development and the employees’ placement in important organizational positions. Originality/value – This study fulfills an identified need to understand the nomological network of networking behavior.